Sorting Apparatus

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments for an apparatus for receiving items are described. One embodiment is a sorting apparatus for receiving items of different individuals. The sorting apparatus comprises a vertical back panel, a horizontal panel coupled to the vertical back panel, the horizontal panel comprising a plurality of openings. The sorting apparatus further comprises a plurality of bags configured to receive the items of different individuals, the plurality of bags configured to be attached to the horizontal panel at the openings, wherein each the of the plurality of openings has a corresponding bag, wherein each opening corresponds to a different individual.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled, “Sock Sorting Assembly,” having Ser. No. 61/324,417, filed on Apr. 15, 2010, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

As one can appreciate, it can be a frustrating process to try and find a matching sock in a large pile of socks after doing laundry for an entire family. Many times, individuals simply give up and throw unmatched socks into a pile. Various designs exist for sorting clothing or laundry, including those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,019,445 and 7,014,096, in addition to U.S. publication number US2005/0242248. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,659 is directed to providing sock identification. However, there remains a need for an efficient means for sorting items such as articles of clothing.

SUMMARY

Briefly described, one embodiment, among others, is a sorting apparatus that comprises a vertical back panel, a horizontal panel coupled to the vertical back panel, the horizontal panel comprising a plurality of openings. The sorting apparatus further comprises a plurality of bags configured to receive articles of clothing, the plurality of bags configured to be attached to the horizontal panel at the openings, wherein each of the plurality of openings has a corresponding bag, wherein each opening corresponds to a different individual.

Another embodiment is a sorting apparatus for receiving items of different individuals that comprises a vertical back panel, a horizontal panel coupled to the vertical back panel, the horizontal panel comprising a plurality of openings. The sorting apparatus further comprises a plurality of bags configured to receive the items of different individuals, the plurality of bags configured to be attached to the horizontal panel at the openings, wherein each the of the plurality of openings has a corresponding bag, wherein each opening corresponds to a different individual.

Another embodiment is an apparatus configured to receive items. The apparatus comprises a horizontal panel comprising a plurality of openings and a plurality of containers configured to be removably attached to the horizontal panel at the openings, wherein each container corresponds to an attribute characterizing the items.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGS. 1-2 depict an embodiment of a sorting apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the sorting apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the sorting apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the sorting apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 illustrates hooks placed around each of the openings of the sorting apparatus.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the sorting apparatus where the bags are coupled directly to the horizontal panel of the sorting apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Having summarized various aspects of the present disclosure, reference will now be made in detail to the description of the disclosure as illustrated in the drawings. While the disclosure will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Various embodiments for a sorting apparatus are described that provide an efficient means for sorting socks and other laundry as well as an aesthetically pleasing addition to the laundry room. FIGS. 1 and 2 depict an embodiment of a sorting apparatus 20. The sorting apparatus 20 allows a user to sort socks for each household member as their laundry is being done. This minimizes handling and saves time for the user. Once the user has finished doing the laundry, the user may either fold the socks together or simply remove the bags and place them with the appropriate household members' freshly folded laundry. This allows each household member to personally fold their own socks. Once a bag 14 containing socks has been emptied, it can be returned to the laundry room and placed back inside the shelf sorting apparatus.

The sorting apparatus 20 may be manufactured out of various types of materials, including but not limited to plastic, wood, iron, ceramic, etc. Some embodiments of the sorting apparatus 20 incorporate a shelf-like design and are designed to be attached to a wall, for example, in the laundry area. By attaching the shelf-style sorting apparatus 20 to a wall near the dryer, for example, the user can efficiently sort socks as clean socks are being removed from the dryer. For alternative embodiments, the sorting apparatus is configured to be a free standing structure and includes a base to allow the assembly to stand up freely on the top of a dryer or other platform.

The accessibility of the sorting apparatus 20 saves valuable time for the user while doing laundry, especially for households with multiple members. Exemplary embodiments of the sorting apparatus 20 comprise a plurality of holes or openings on the horizontal panel 10 of the shelf for receiving each individual's socks. For some embodiments, the openings have a corresponding label located on the vertical back panel, which allows for identification of household members' slot, color coordination, etc.

As shown in the drawings, each opening may be surrounded by one or more hooks or a similar device. The purpose of the hooks or similar device is to hold or secure the hanging bags or nets. The bags or nets can be made of any material and are intended to be attached to each opening in order to receive clean socks. The drawings illustrate an embodiment of a sorting apparatus that attaches to a wall. With reference to FIG. 2, the bags 14 are constructed according to a netting construction, which allows the bags 14 to be hung using the hooks 15. Note that while the embodiment depicted in the figures shows a band at the top of each bag 14 with holes, other embodiments of the sorting apparatus comprise a net that loops directly onto the hooks 15. Reference is made to FIG. 7, which depicts an alternative embodiment where the top of the net bag 14 is reinforced and designed to loop directly onto the hooks 15.

For other embodiments, a hard plastic container or canister may be used for receiving socks instead of bags 14. The receiving bags can be designed with loops, or any other similar device, that allow the bags or nets to attach to the hooks on the shelf openings. In accordance with some embodiments, the bags 14 may be attached to the sorting apparatus 20 using hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro®) or other attachment means (not shown). Referring back to FIG. 2, the sorting apparatus 20 contains a number of openings 13 on the horizontal panel 10. The openings 13 on the top panel surface are approximately 4-6 inches in diameter but can be other sizes as well. It should also be emphasized that the openings 13 can be any shape. The top panel openings 13 have a plurality of hooks 15 disposed around the holes or openings 13. The hooks 15 are designed to hold hanging bags or nets 14 in place. The bags or nets 14 actually hang from the openings 13 on the top panel surface and are held in place for receiving household members'clean socks. The device may be attached to a wall by screws or any other similar hanging device. FIG. 2 shows mounting holes 12 on the vertical back panel surface 11 for receiving the screws. Again, it should be emphasized that various devices may be used for hanging or attaching the present invention to a wall. Some embodiments include support members beneath the horizontal panel 10.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the sorting apparatus. As shown, the sorting apparatus 20 comprises a horizontal panel 10, a vertical back panel 11, openings 12 for receiving screws, nails, and other wall fasteners. The sorting apparatus 20 further comprises openings/holes 13 for receiving and sorting clean socks, bags/nets 14 for the collection, accumulation, and distribution of socks, and hooks 15 for holding the bags/nets in a hanging position on the shelf. FIG. 4 is an illustration of the back side of the sorting apparatus. The back view shows a vertical back panel 11, small openings for receiving screws 12, and the horizontal panel 10. FIG. 5 is an illustration of how the front surface of the vertical back panel 11 may be labeled for identification. In the non-limiting examples shown, each of the bags 14 is assigned a corresponding label 16 (e.g., “Dad”). This aids in the sorting process and allows the user to quickly and efficiently identify the proper bag 14 for receiving socks or other laundry items.

In accordance with alternative embodiments, the vertical back panel 11 may be attached to the horizontal panel 10 of the sorting apparatus 20 via one or more hinges (not shown) such that the sorting apparatus 20 can be folded when not in use. In other embodiments, the sorting apparatus 20 may comprise only the horizontal panel 10 where the horizontal panel is mounted directly on a wall. FIG. 6 illustrates how the hanging bag/nets 14 are attached to the openings 13 in the shelf. As described earlier, some embodiments of the bag/nets 14 include a band with holes 17. The hooks 15 extend through or around the holes 13, thus attaching the bags/nets 14 onto the horizontal panel 10 of the sorting apparatus. Any style hook or attachment may be used to secure bags or nets to shelf openings.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely examples of possible implementations. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. 

1. A sorting apparatus comprising: a vertical back panel; a horizontal panel coupled to the vertical back panel, the horizontal panel comprising a plurality of openings; and a plurality of bags configured to receive articles of clothing, the plurality of bags configured to be attached to the horizontal panel at the openings, wherein each of the plurality of openings has a corresponding bag, wherein each opening corresponds to a different individual.
 2. The sorting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more hooks extending through or around the openings for hanging the plurality of bags.
 3. The sorting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the articles of clothing are associated with the different individuals corresponding to the plurality of bags.
 4. The sorting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising labels associated with each of the plurality of openings, wherein one or more of the labels are configured to indicate the individual corresponding to the opening.
 5. A sorting apparatus, comprising: a vertical back panel; a horizontal panel coupled to the vertical back panel, the horizontal panel comprising a plurality of openings; and a plurality of bags configured to receive items of different individuals, the plurality of bags configured to be attached to the horizontal panel at the openings, wherein each the of the plurality of openings has a corresponding bag, wherein each opening corresponds to a different individual.
 6. The sorting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the horizontal panel is coupled to the vertical back panel via one or more hinges.
 7. The sorting apparatus of claim 5, further comprising labels associated with each of the plurality of openings, the labels indicating the individual corresponding to the opening.
 8. The sorting apparatus of claim 5, further comprising one or more hooks placed around each of the openings.
 9. The sorting apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of bags is configured to loop onto the one or more hooks of a corresponding opening.
 10. The sorting apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of bags is independently removable from the horizontal panel.
 11. An apparatus configured to receive items, comprising: a horizontal panel comprising a plurality of openings; and a plurality of containers configured to be removably attached to the horizontal panel at the openings, wherein each container corresponds to an attribute characterizing the items.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a vertical back panel.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of openings comprises one or more hooks for detachably connecting to the plurality of containers.
 14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising labels corresponding to each of the attributes.
 15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the attribute corresponds to a color.
 16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the attribute corresponds to an individual owing one or more of the items.
 17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of openings comprises one or more hook-and-loop fasteners for detachably connecting to the plurality of containers.
 18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the vertical back panel comprises one or more openings for mounting the apparatus to a wall.
 19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the containers comprise net bags.
 20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the containers comprise canisters. 